TO WORK MUST WEAR A PROTECTIVE FACE COVERING AND OBSERVE SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES. IN LAMOILLE COUNTY... A PROTEST THIS AFTERNOON. TRYING TO GET THE ATTENTION OF LEADERS WHO COULD SOON DECIDE... WHETHER OR ááNOT TO SHUT DOWN THREE VERMONT STATE COLLEGES... NBC 5s ZURI HOFFMAN IS IN JOHNSON. WITH THE PUSH BACK TO CLOSING THE DOORS OF THESE SCHOOLS. (NAT Protest) THE POSSIBILITY OF THREE VERMONT STATE COLLEGES SHUTTING DOWN... HAS PLENTY OF PEOPLE UPSET HERE IN JOHNSON (I couldn't sit by and let an institution that's been in Johnson for 200 years fall by the wayside DEMONSTRATORS SAY IF THEIR TOWN LOSES THE LYNDON AND JOHNSON CAMPUSES... THEN THEY'LL LOSE THE NEARLY ONE THOUSAND STUDENTS THAT HELP KEEP THE LOCAL ECONOMY MOVING. (SOT) (I believe them that most of us see the long-term value of keeping these open for a local economy and for our students to have access to education that they will not get at Uvm or Castleton) (SOT) (If they don't have a place to go in Vermont to go someplace else and they may never come back) THE CHANCELLOR OF VERMONT STATE COLLEGES SYSTEM MAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION TO CLOSE THESE SCHOOLS AND VERMONT TECHNICAL COLLEGE...TO ADDRESS FINANCIAL ISSUES CAUSED BY COVID-19 (NAT PROTEST) STATE REPRESENTATIVE MATT HILL SAYS HIS PART OF THE STATE NEEDS A PLACE FOR HIGHER LEARNING. (We need to be able to provide through public institutions some kind of higher education and if we don't have that in northern Vermont and we have to go to Chittenden County that does not help our rural communities at all) NEWS OF THE PLAN...MAKING IT TO MONTPELIER... WHERE GOVERNOR PHIL SCOTT ON SUNDAY- SAYS "THERE IS FAR BETTER MORE POSITIVE PATH FORWARD" (NAT protests) WITH COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE FOCUSED ON GETTING THROUGH A PANDEMIC. THIS GROUP...WANTS TO MAKE SURE THESE SCHOOLS ARE NOT IMPACTED. (SOT) (They need to smarten up and try to save our school) THE RECOMMENDATION WILL BE PRESENTED BY TO THE VERMONT STATE COLLEGE SYSTEMS BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON MONDAY FOR DISCUSSION WITH

Protesters in Lamoille County on Sunday afternoon were trying to get the attention of leaders who could soon decide whether or not to shut down three Vermont state colleges. "I couldn't sit by and let an institution that's been in Johnson for 200 years fall by the wayside," said the protest organizer Michael Dunham.Demonstrators in Johnson believe if their town loses the Northern Vermont University Johnson campus then they will also lose the nearly 1,000 students who help keep the local economy moving. "I believe that most of us see the long-term value of keeping these schools open for our local economy and for our students to have access to education that they will not get at UVM or Castleton," said demonstrator Sara Kinerson. The Chancellor of Vermont State Colleges System made the recommendation to close Northern Vermont University's Johnson and Lyndon campuses and Vermont Technical College campus in Randolph to address financial issues caused by COVID-19."We need to be able to provide through public institutions some kind of higher education and if we don’t have that in northern Vermont and we have to go to Chittenden County that does not help our rural communities at all," said State Representative Matt Hill Lamoille-2. News of the plan made it to Montpelier where Gov. Phil Scott released this statement on Sunday in part, "To be clear, I don’t support adopting the current plan as proposed or asking taxpayers to bailout a system that is no longer financially viable. There is a far better, more positive path forward – including for the communities that rely on state college campuses to sustain their local economies – if we are creative and committed to the hard work ahead."Initially the Vermont State Colleges System board of trustees was supposed to vote on the closures on Monday. Instead the recommendation will be presented before them for discussion and the vote will happen at a later date.

JOHNSON, Vt. —

Protesters in Lamoille County on Sunday afternoon were trying to get the attention of leaders who could soon decide whether or not to shut down three Vermont state colleges.

"I couldn't sit by and let an institution that's been in Johnson for 200 years fall by the wayside," said the protest organizer Michael Dunham.

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Demonstrators in Johnson believe if their town loses the Northern Vermont University Johnson campus then they will also lose the nearly 1,000 students who help keep the local economy moving.

"I believe that most of us see the long-term value of keeping these schools open for our local economy and for our students to have access to education that they will not get at UVM or Castleton," said demonstrator Sara Kinerson.

The Chancellor of Vermont State Colleges System made the recommendation to close Northern Vermont University's Johnson and Lyndon campuses and Vermont Technical College campus in Randolph to address financial issues caused by COVID-19.

"We need to be able to provide through public institutions some kind of higher education and if we don’t have that in northern Vermont and we have to go to Chittenden County that does not help our rural communities at all," said State Representative Matt Hill Lamoille-2.

News of the plan made it to Montpelier where Gov. Phil Scott released this statement on Sunday in part, "To be clear, I don’t support adopting the current plan as proposed or asking taxpayers to bailout a system that is no longer financially viable. There is a far better, more positive path forward – including for the communities that rely on state college campuses to sustain their local economies – if we are creative and committed to the hard work ahead."

Initially the Vermont State Colleges System board of trustees was supposed to vote on the closures on Monday. Instead the recommendation will be presented before them for discussion and the vote will happen at a later date.